Ministry of Heavy Industries
MoU Signed between ARAI and llT Guwahati for Establishment of Common Engineering Facility Center titled “Digital Twin Center for Emerging Automotive Systems” in Hub and Spoke model
Automotive Research Association of India  has signed an MoU with llT Guwahati for Establishment of Common Engineering Facility Center titled “Digital Twin Center for Emerging Automotive Systems” in Hub and Spoke model. ARAI is an autonomous body under the aegis of the Ministry of Heavy Industries.
The Common Engineering Facility Center is being established under Capital Goods scheme Phase II of Ministry of Heavy Industries by ARAI along with Industry Partner named Micelio Mobility Pvt Ltd. titled “Digital Twin Center for Emerging Automotive Systems" in Hub and Spoke model. The CEFC will enable “SAMARTH Udyog Bharat 4.0”, for the benefit of the industry at large, and more specifically MSMEs and Start-ups by creating digital twin for the different systems across industries. The small enterprises specifically have a challenge in accessing facilities for development of solutions and limited technology orientation. So, establishment of Digital Twin Centre for Emerging Automotive Systems will help the MSMEs and Start-ups in experimenting, experiencing, upskilling and finding solutions using this domain for their needs.
These facilities can be utilized across Industries for developing technologies, experimentation, design and simulation and validation.
Following are the components of Digital Twin Systems:
- Digitization of data and environment for effective tuning of AI & ML models
- Digitization of data for system development & training
· HIL Farm
- Digitization of systems for controls development & validation
- Digitization of the material development and manufacturing process
- Material development and characterization without need for physical prototyping
The entire facility is being established in Hub and Spoke manner with
Hub: Pune
- Spoke1: Bengaluru
- Spoke 2: Guwahati
Following are the outcomes of Digital Twin Systems:
- Creation of Digital Twin decreases the overall development time for systems development
- Validation of Systems can happen even before the prototype is ready.
- Front loading digitization in the development cycle for different application areas.
- Experience Centres for technology absorption, do-it-yourself, handling and experimenting.
These would also support pilot manufacturing up to few market samples.
- Connecting Start Ups, MSME’s and Academia by using the brain strength of IIT’s.
- Tooling support for design and simulation.
- Creation of demonstrations, awareness, experience centres, training, consultancy, hand holding to the different indian Start-ups and MSMEs for the development of emerging technologies.
The HUB and Spokes are being connected digitally to facilitate ease of access to the tools from different locations.
Spoke 2: IIT Guwahati
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- Spoke 2 is being established at IIT Guwahati for serving the needs of the industry in the North-East region in the areas of advanced Digital Twin systems for their indigenous technology developments. These facilities will support the across capital goods like Engineering, Automotive, Drones, Solar, aerospace among others.
- ARAI will also be setting up a digital connectivity with the HUB and Spoke 1 for access to AI and ML tools as well as the ICME software with Spoke 2 at IIT Guwahati.
- A general purpose HIL system would be installed at IIT Guwahati for enabling digital twin creation for systems for development of control systems and validation.
- The CEFC will also be utilized for the development of new materials, material characterization, manufacturing process simulation in different areas ranging from Metals, composites, additive manufacturing etc.
- The AI and ML tools will be used for digitizing data for system development and training purposes. This helps in use of the digitization in the development cycle for different applications.
- The facilities being established are catering to various fields like materials, electronics, AI/ML, control systems etc. among others which has wide spread applications across various domains. The technologies being developed using these facilities will accelerate their series production with better quality thereby enabling SAMARTH UDYOG BHARAT 4.0
- IIT Guwahati will give space, infrastructure, utilities required for the equipment and will in turn get access to the systems for their educational and research activities.
- The systems are aimed at creating Synergies between the industry ecosystem  and the academia through IITs by leveraging the knowledge available at IITs.
- The whole CEFC will work in a self-sustaining model by serving start up, MSME and related ecosystem.
- Creation of base demo models for varied applications, experiential centres, ready to use experiments, training material for academia to help in the educational and research activities of students, faculty and other stake holders of the academia.